I just done my Ad Tech panel. I am happy about the turn out rate. The room was 80% filled. I need to thank Paul Woodward, Mike Hay, and Celina Chan to be my panelists and to share development and future challenges from different B2B media perspectives. Alibaba didn’t join the panel probably because of the Pre-IPO quiet period. I can understand that. They would rather be the audience, flyers, and the hanging poster of my session.

Well, time wasn’t enough so all of us just briefly run through everything. This is typical for conference. So many issues t.b.d., so little time.

Mike gave us his views on the bad news and good news for print media. While facing all kinds of challenges and plagiarism, print media in China is getting more and more interactive. According to Mike, we expect to see more online and offline inter-media cooperation through content provision. Content is a glue for saving quality readership. Both online and offline media need that. So instead of competition, why not cooperate to equate the 1+1=3 business outcome.

Paul showed us statistics of trade show industry, which just China alone represents more than 50% share of the total event business volume in Asia. Trade show has a important stake in China B2B market. According to Paul, inter-media development is going to be a trend. The online-offline hybrid will enhance the trade fulfillment process.

Celina, from DHGATE.COM, shared her views on e-marketplace. It facilitates trading process. Quite in line with Mike, Celina sees the inter-media cooperation is moving harmoniously on today B2B media landscape.

I hold a slightly different angle. I see more inter-media competition instead of cooperation. The competition happens not directly on the business model. It is the competition for user acquisition. All media want to be the priority of the customers’ consideration set and get a bigger pieces of the pie.

The B2B panel in Ad Tech has presented a very good mix of channels. It also reflects the true status of today B2B media landscape. The buyer side and seller side interaction isn’t just happened on Internet. And it shouldn’t be regardless of the competition or cooperation between inter-media.

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